Refuge in Israel

Emigrants came to Palestine not only after the Nazis seized power: as early as the 1880s, many Jews from other parts of the world emigrated to what is now Israel. Until the founding of the state in 1948, there were five waves of immigration , the so-called Aliyah (plural: Alijot).

Beginning of immigration at the end of the 19th century

Between 1882 and 1903, Jews from Russia and Romania in particular came to Palestine, as there were several anti-semitic pogroms at that time, particularly in southern Russia. They settled in what was then a relatively sparsely populated area and founded the first settlements. According to figures from the Federal Agency for Civic Education, around 25,000 people came to Palestine during this wave of immigration.

Between 1904 and 1914, another 40,000 people followed. The majority of these people also came from Russia. The reason for this was also anti-semitic attacks, but many were also dissatisfied with the social reforms in Russia.

During the third Aliyah, between 1919 and 1923, many Russian and Polish Jews also came to Palestine. Around 35,000 people immigrated during this time. From 1924 onwards, the number of emigrants increased significantly: between 1924 and 1931 , another 80,000 Jews, mainly from Eastern Europe, arrived in Palestine. At that time, the economic opportunities for Jews in Palestine were already very good and the Jewish infrastructure was already very well developed.

Refuge in Israel from 1932

The largest wave of immigration began in 1932: after the Nazis seized power, around 200,000 Jews came to Palestine by 1939 and sought refuge in what is now Israel. In addition to Jews of German descent, many Jews from Arab countries such as Yemen and Iraq also came to Palestine at this time. Between 1939 and 1945, another 70,000 European Jews managed to escape the Nazis. In addition to German Jews, thousands from Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia also came to Palestine at that time.

At that time, entry regulations in Palestine were already very strict. In addition to the difficulty of escaping from Europe, this also made entry into Palestine difficult. Nevertheless , the Jewish population in Palestine rose to more than 600,000 people before the founding of the state in 1948 .

Even before the end of the 19th century, some Jews were already living in Palestine. Many of them were descendants of Jews who were expelled from Spain in the Middle Ages. Around 20,000 people lived in Jewish communities in Palestine at the end of the 19th century. In addition, there were around 400,000 people of Arab descent.

Immigration after the founding of the state

After the founding of the State of Israel, tens of thousands of people again came to Israel. These included not only Holocaust survivors from Europe, but also many Jews from Arab countries. By 1952, around 600,000 more people had come to Israel, so that the population doubled within a few years. Israel is still a country of immigration today. For example, after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the end of the Soviet Union, many people from Eastern Europe again went to Israel.

Over the centuries, what is now Israel has been a place of refuge and a new home for many people. However, a demographic change can be seen, particularly in the last 50 years. Until the 1970s, European Jews were the majority in Israel. This has changed in recent decades, so that the European character of the country has also become weaker.